FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a cable reel 2 as typically found in the prior art, and which includes a barrel portion (not shown) with flanges 4, 5 attached at both ends. A cable 14 is typically wrapped around the barrel portion and in between the inner surfaces of the flanges 4, 5 while the reel 2 is rotatably mounted on a horizontal spindle installed through spindle holes in the center of the flanges 4, 5. After the cable has been wrapped around the barrel portion, the cable reel 2 is typically turned upright for storage and transportation to the location of intended use, where it is once again mounted onto a spindle and rotated as the cable 14 is fed from the reel 2. While oriented in the vertical and upright position, however, the cable reel 2 must be stackable on top of a lower cable reel 3 of equal or greater size (see FIG. 2B). And whether isolated or stacked, the upright cable reel 2 must also be able to tolerate lateral loadings and forces which may be experienced during storage and transportation (e.g. within the cargo area of a truck) that would otherwise cause the cable reel to tip and fall.
A cable reel 2 that is loaded with wire or cable 14 can be quite heavy, with a significant weight 6 that generally requires a fork truck having forks 12 to lift and move the loaded cable reel. With loaded cable reels 2, it is desirable that the forks 12 be positioned completely under the lower flange 5 of the upright cable reel 2 and towards the outer portion of the flange, but still underneath the boundary of the wrapped cable 14 (as shown in FIG. 1). This ensures that the elevated reel 2 has a wide base to protect against tipping and falling, and with the weight 6 of the cable 14 passing directly downward through the thickness of the flange 5 to the supporting forks 12, and not laterally across the expanse of the flange. If the forks 12 are too far apart, so as to leave the center portion of the flange 5 largely unsupported, the flange could bow or sag downwards in the center under the weight 6 of the cable 14 and eventually crack and fail.
It can be problematic, however, to correctly position the forks 12 under the lower flange 5 of the cable reel 2 when the bottom face of the lower flange 5 is contacting and flush with the ground surface 10 (FIG. 2A), or stacked flush on top of the upper flange 4 of another cable reel 3 (FIG. 2B). This is because the driver of the fork truck, who usually works alone, may have difficulty forcing the forks 12 in between the floor 10 and the bottom flange 5, or in between the top flange 4 of the bottom reel 3 and the bottom flange 5 of the top reel 2 to pick up the reel 2.
What is needed is a system for better supporting an upright cable reel on a ground surface or on the upper flange of a lower cable reel that allows the forks of a fork lift to be properly positioned for lifting and moving the cable reel. Moreover, the system must still provided the support necessary to avoid tipping and falling during storage and stacked transportation (e.g. such as being stacked within the cargo area of a truck, etc.)